Process of treating oils



Jan, 6, 1925.

C. P. DUBBS vPROCES S OF TREATING OILS Filed Deo. 12, 1925 Patented `lan.. 1925.1:

" UNITED )STATES 111,522,425 PfA-'rENT OFFICE.

- CARBON P. Dumas, or wrnirnrfrn- ILLrNofrs, AssIeNone'ro UNIVERSAL on. rnoDUc'rs COMPANYJ, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F SOUTH DAKOTA.

` ',.rnocnss 'or ganarme, ons.

lApplication filed December 12, 1923. .Seriali No. 680,089.

' ATioi'aZZ whom it may concern.' s

A Be it known that l, CARBON P. DUBBS, a

itizen of the United States, residing in the city of Wilmette, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain newand useful improvements in Processes of Treating Oils,lof which the following is a specification. j i.

This invention relates to improvements in treating oils, and refers more particularly to the ltreatment of hydrocarbon oils under heat and atmospheric or superatmospheric pressure to produce low boiling point hydrocarbons therefrom.

The invention aims to provide an oil'conversion process wherein the oil is passed continuously through' a coil'of restricted cross section to receive its cracking heat and then delivered to an enlarged chamber Where vaporization of a substantial portion .thereof occurs. In this process no unvaporized oil is permitted to return from this chamber to said heating coil. The generatedlvapors pass from thischamber'to a dephlegmator. The insufiiciently cracked va ors are condensed in the dephlegmator y passing a part of the charging stock directly thereto While the remaining portion of the charging stock is fed 'directly toward the -inlet side of the heating coil and is caused to commingle with the, charging stockpreheated in the dephlegmator and the reflux condensate produced therein for passage therewith through the heating coil.

More specifically the invention comprehends a process in which the charging stock fed to the dephlegmator may be an oil that has previously been subjected to a crack- .ing treatment, such for instance, as pressure distillate.

A further embodiment of my invention is fdirected to the iiushing of the various zones Vof cracking and dephlegmation to remove therefrom the major portion of'free carbon and coke forming particles precipitated therein, by means of returning pressure distillate to the 'dephlegmating and cracking zones, or successively through @each during and after the operation.' p

In the drawing, I have shown a single figure in side elevationland vertical section, o

an apparatus adapted to 'carry out mv invention.

Referring 1n detail; tothe drawing,- lfdesignates the furnace in which armsupportcd .the charging stock sucient to maintain a mixes' vvithfthat portion of the charging pansion chamber 7 which may take the form of a vertical shell, say 15 feet high by 10 feet in diameter, having upper and lovvelmanhole plates 8 and 9. rlhis. chamber is provided, adjacent its upper portion, with vapor outlet 10 controlled by valve 11, lead mg to the bottom of the dephlegmator 12, Where reflux condensation takes place. rlhe dephlegmator 12 may be provided with the bames 13, reflux leg 13", and reflux return line 14 in which is interposed the valve 15, connected to the heating coils 2', in this' instance. pass out of the dephlegmator through vapor outlet 16, control ing to Water condenser 18 seated in con denser box 19. I i, i

The condenser coil is connected to the receiver 20,V equipped with pressure relie'4r valve 21, pressure gauge 22, liquid drawofi valve 23. Opposite. the dravvoii valve 23 is the pressure distillate return line 24 in which is interposed valve 25 and -pump 26, by means of which the distillate may` bereturned during'operation to the top of the dephlegimatorl and the light constituents thereof revaporized by subjection n to the 'vapors coming from the expansion chamber.

The reflux from the dephlegmator 12 may be returned and mixed with the charging stock to the heating coils for retreatment. The raw oil, instead of being :ted to the heating coils, may be fed to lthe top of the dephlegmator through the line 27 controlled part to the dephlegmator. ln this process itl will therefore be apparentvthat a part of pro er temperature in the dephlegmator to The uncondensed v'a ors vvillA ed by valve 17 and leadi by valve 28, or part to the heatingcoils'and con ense the insuiiiciently cracked vapors is x fed to the dephlegmator, and this charging #stock together with relux condensate drops into the leg 13`l7and by means of the pipe 14 stockbeingfdirectly fed to the cracking coil without a previous passage through thev dephlegmator'. passing through the pipe 3.- In this Way the charging stock is split into out a portion .thereof entering the -lux leg 13a and throughthe cracking tubes 2. Part of two streams, one 'stream' going intoV the dephlegmator and the other directly to the coil, the heated stock andcondensate from the dephlegmator being united with said cool stream. Furthermore, pressure distillate may be introduced to the dephlegmator 12 through the line 24 and charging stock alone passed through the line 3 withdephlegmator. "The unevaporated partot' the distillate passes into the reflux leg together with condensate and with the charging stock -is admitted to the coil. The expansion chamber may be provided with the residue drawoti' lines 29 controlled by valves 30. Thel process may be operated under a transfer temperature of between 400 to 20000 F., and the whole system maintained under atmospheric pressure or under a pres-I sure of say 120 to 1000 pounds more or less to the square inch, or differential pressures may be employed on various partsl by the manipulation'of the valves shown.'

The following illustrative run may be given: Using a 17.3 gravity topped crude from the Smackover field', the above process under 120 pounds pressure and 880 F. trans fer temperature will produce 80% pressure distillate of about Ll7fl8 B. gravity, which distillate upon further distillation will pro! duce 48 to 50% of gasoline based on the original charge, conforming tothe Navy specification, and having the characteristics of commercial gasoline. y f

C As a feature of the invention'. immediately subsequent to shutting down, the pump 2G,-

if not in operation, is then put into opera-l tion to withdraw distillate from receiver 20 and force it into the top of the dephlegmator through line 24.-. The distillate willV fall downward retarded by the pans 13, washing' these pans, and removing a substantial por'- tion of the. free carbon deposited thereon, and carrying these. carbon particles with it. Its course ot travel will be through the reand pipe 14, valve 15 being open the distillate may be withdrawn through the drawotf 31 controlled by valve 32. llVhenl a sufi'icient amount has been fed to the heat- -ing coils, pump 26 is stopped` and the distillate withdrawn from the heating coils through the line 34: controlled b v valve 35.

' By the use of this invention, it is 'possible to remove a very substantial portion ot thefree carbon Which may normally have been deposited in the cracking tubes and deph'legmating 'connections during the operation.

Pressure gauges may be attachedl to various parts of ythe apparatus. plurality., of residuum dra'wveffs 29. The inlet 5 may be connected to the topv of'the vapor chamber instead of the bottom as shown. Pyrometers may be interposed in the various lines as desired.

There may be a' vI claim as my invention:

1'.- A continuous process of oil conversion, consisting in passing a body of oil in a rerstricted stream through a continuous elongated passageway where said oil receives its cracking heat, in transferring the highly 'Lheated oilv While in a substantially liquid condition to an enlarged chamber where vaporization of a portion of the oil occurs in discharging all unvaporized oil from said chamber without permitting the same to again 'enter said elongated passageway, in discharging vapors "from said c lamber to a reflux condenser, in passing charging stock to said reflux condenser to aid in the condensation of the insufficiently cracked vapors passing therethrough and to preheat the charging'stock, in discharging uncondensed vapors from the reflux condenser, in removing condensate and charging stock from the reflux condensenand in introducing the same together Lwith an independent supply of charging stock to the inlet side oi said elongated continuous passageway to travel therethrough, and in atmospheric maintaining a super- '1 2. A continuous process of oil conversion,

consisting in maintaining abody of `oil at acracking temperature in an enlarged eX- ino flow therethrough onceonly and to be then discharged into said expansion chamber. in dlscharging all the unvaporized oil from the. expansion chamber without admitting the same to said elongated conveying 1neans,vand

in maintaining a' superatmospheric pressure on the oil undergoing conversion. 4

3. A process ot oil conversion` consisting in continuously passing a stream of oil through an elongated` passageway of restricted cross-sectional area where said o'il -is heated to a cracking temperature. in transferring the heated oil while in a substantiall)` liquid phase to an enlargedchamber where conversion of the oil occurs, in preventing the passage Ici" any unvaporized residue from said conversion chamberto said heating pas sageway,'in discharging generated vapors to a reflux condenser, in introducing charging .stock to said condenser to assist in the oonvdensation of the insuiiiciently cracked vapors and heat said charging stock, in introducing the heated charging stock and reflux condensate from the reflux condenser with an independent supply of charging stock to the inlet side of said elongated passageway to travel therethrough but once while receiving its cracking heat, and in maintaining a superatmospheric pressure on the oil undergoing conversion.

4. A continuous process of oil conversion, comprising passing hydrocarbon oil through an elongated passageway of restricted crosssection where said oil is subjected-to a cracking temperature, in delivering the heated hydrocarbon oil in a substantially liquid phase to an enlarged chamber, in discharging all the unvaporized oil from said chamber without again .admitting the same to said elongated passageway, in passing vapors from said vchamber to a dephlegmator, in introducing a stream of pressure distillate to said dephlegmator to condense the heavy insufficiently cracked vapors and to reevaporate a portion of said distillate, in passing the uncondensed va ors from the'dephlegmator to a final con ensei', in collecting the distillate thus produced, inl withdrawing liquid products from said dephlegmator, and in passing the same `with an independent stream of charging stock to the .inlet side of said elongated passagewayto travel therethrough to undergo treatment`A and in maintaining a superatmospheric pressure on the oil in said passageway, enlarged chamber and dephlegmator.

5. A process of oil conversion, consisting in passing hydrocarbon oil in a stream but once through an elongated continuous passageway of restricted cross-section disposed within a furnace where said oil is subjected to a cracking temperature, in delivering the highly heated oil whilein a substantially liquid phase to an enlarged chamber where vaporization of a substantial portion thereof occurs, in discharging all the unvaporized oil from said chamber withoutr again admitting the samel to said elongated passageway, in

introducing the vapors to a dephlegmator,

in condensing the insuficiently cracked vapors' passing through said dephlegmator by introducing a stream of charging stock to the dephlegmator, in combining reiiux .condensate and chargingstock from said 4 dephlegmator with an independent stream of charging stock for introduction to the inlet side of said elongated passageway -to travel therethrough but once in a continuously advancing stream, in discharging uncondensed vapors from the dephlegmator, and in maintaining a superatmospheric pressure on. the oil in said system.

t 6. A process of oil conversion, consisting i 'in passing a restricted stream of oil through a Vcontinuous elongated passageway where said oil receives its crackingheat, in transferring the heated o1l to an enlarged receiver where conversion thereof occurs, 1n preventing the return of any unvaporized oil from an elongated passageway of restricted crosssection where said oil is subjected to a cracking temperature, in transferring the heated oil to an enlarged chamber where conversion occurs, in passing generated vapors to a reflux condenser, in preventing the return of any unvaporized oil from said enlarged chamber to said elongated passageway, in passing a stream of hydrocarbon oil that has previously been subjected to a v cracking treatment to the dephlegmator'to condense the insufliciently cracked vapors and to heat said oil, in passing the uncondensed vapors from the dephlegmator to a inal condenser, and in introducing to said elongated heating passageway the preheated oil from the dephlegmator and reflux condensate with an independent supply of charging stock admitted to the inlet side ofsaid passageway to travel therethrough and undergo treatment, and in maintaining a superatmospheric pressure on the oil undergoing conversion.

8. A process of oil conversion, consisting in passing a restricted stream of oil through a continuous elongated passageway where said oil receives its cracking heat, in transferring the heated oil to an enlarged receiver where conversion thereof occurs, in preventing a return of any unvaporized oil to said elongated passageway from the receiver, in discharging generated vapors to a reflux condenser, in placing a stream of charging stock under a forced pressure, in splitting said stream and directing a portion thereof to said reflux condenser to condensel insufficiently cracked vapors and to heat said portion' of the stream while directing the other portion of said split stream to said elongated heating passage, and in uniting the split sections of said stream together with refiux condensate prior to the entrance of the oil to the inlet side of said passageway, and in maintaining a superatmospheric pressure, on the oil undergoing conversion.

cannon r. enses. 

